lukeward2004

Ped mate, saturday is going to be wicked - I got the manual and carry bag etc with it, and im a member of the custom tone club so I can check out some other tones. If we can look at the channel volumes and whatnot together that would be grand - and I would like to hijack your Jazz patch for myself aswell mate

Hartke 410 XL - i think there is one in the for sale section for £200....

Hi All, Ive recnetly acquired a nice Line6 Bass POD XT (Kidney bean version) off of Phatmonkey, after being suitably impressed by Ped's one when I last visited him. Ok, so Tuesday night comes around and its practise time with the Natalie Band. I took the POD along with me to DI straight into the PA, but bear in mind that I hadnt had the chance to set up any patches at this point. Needless to say, it sounded rubbish with the default patches that come with it, so I quickly packed it away and plugged into a bass amp for the night. When I got home, I spent a good hour or two just playing around with it and my Warwick, and I had a go at setting myself up with one good "clean" patch that I can use for practising. The thing I found fantastic about it was the sheer flexibility of tones and features, it really is a versatile tool. So, I got a patch set up that I was happy with via my headphones, and took the POD along last night to practise without having any other bass amp - either way I was forcing myself to use the POD. Plugged everyting in, set the EQ on the PA so I had a completely flat channel, set the monitor mix up, turned on the POD, hit a note and WOW - exactly the sound I had set up via the headphones, and came through the PA loud and clear. I had positive comments about how fat my Warwick sounded from the otherband members, and despite just going through the PA, I could feel the low end thumping me in the chest as I played. Im now in Love with the POD and will be spending lots of time setting up patches for various sounds and basses, and I just wanted to share my pleasure with everyone!

OK, having pondered this a lot over the last few weeks, ive decided to sell the Sennheiser Freeport system and replace it with an AKG WMS400 - which seems to be the dogs danglies.

I use Nanowebs normally, and dont generally use a pick - Ive had a set on my Jazz bass for just shy of a year, no wear that I can see and still sounding great, and my custom P has had a set of Nano's on them for almost 18 months, still going strong!

I use a pair of AKG K-55 headphones at home - fantastic for home practise and cheap as you like.

Hi Guys, Sorry to be a pain, I know this has probably been asked a few times before but I couldnt see anything so I thought it worth reposting and then I can make this a sticky fro future reference. I have recently put together a fantastic new band, and have finalised the lineup - Drums, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals and 2x Guitarists (who for once are not the usual egotistical widdlers). Our aim is to start off playing at weddings, private parties, and corporate events, with the odd Pub gig here and there for good measure. Set wise, so far we have some Stevie Wonder, some George Benson, some Jamiroquai, spot of Tower Of Power, teaspoon of Jill Scott, and a dash of We also want to wrote and perform original tracks, however we need to have a good 2 hours of covers to launch us on the functions circuit and get some money behind us. The question is, whats the going rate for: -Weddings? -Private Parties? -Pubs/Clubs? -Corporate Events (like summer/xmas parties etc)? Just wanted to get a feeler for it as we dont want to be overpriced/underpriced out there. Obviosly we will put together a press pack to give out to potential bookings, but we need to have a rough Idea of reasonable pricing. We are not looking to charge for originals shows - this is purely for the covers and functions side of things. Cheers Luke

[quote name='ngombe' post='13319' date='Jun 6 2007, 09:43 PM']Hi This is a question for Precision lovers. I have a US P bass that I bought about a year ago on a bit of an expensive whim. My main bass is a Stingray and it suits me pretty well, I know it's sound and I have the action just so, all in all it's got a 'just right' feel for me. Sadly the opposite is the case for my poor neglected P. I play a lot of different styles but so far I haven't really found where the P shines. I know it wouldn't be such a bass icon without reason - please help me to discover it's strengths. I don't play much rock and I rarely use a pick - So far the only time it's really sounded good to me was when I was playing it hard with a pick. The action seems high but I couldn't get it much lower, the relief of the neck is pretty much factory standard - I tried varying it but didn't get a much lower action. For fingerstyle it just seems much slower than the Stingray and much less defined in the sound For people who like them I'd like to ask - what kind of music do you think it suits? - do you have favorite EQ, amp setting etc? - any recommendations for good tracks that showcase the P bass? - how's the setup? do you string it through the body? any mods worth undertaking? - anything else that you think makes the P bass such a classic Normally I'd just part company with a bass that doesn't work for me, but I can't help thinking I'm just missing something with this one so I'm giving it a last chance. Ta Joe[/quote] Hi Joe, 3 years ago I had a company called Bravewood guitars build me a Precision bass to my spec, as I personally couldnt get along with many of the MIJ/MIA Fenders that I tried. I always loved the fat, round sound that P basses give, so I was really looking for something more playable. Here she is: Basically, the neck profile and body is the same as a '62 P bass, but it has a Badass II bridge, Seymour Duncan 1/4 £er pickup, schaller tuners, and its finished entirely in Nitro-cellulose. I was able to get the action quite low on it, however I have to say that it is still a little higher than on my other basses - not as low as I would like it. The problem is that If I try any get it any lower, I get shedloads of fretbuzz and the upper registers sound a little muted. I took it for a setup and the tech told me that I wouldn't get the action much lower than I already have it, so I didnt bother trying - I guess I just accepted it as a characteristic of the P Bass. [quote]what kind of music do you think it suits?[/quote] I play Funk, Reggae, Rock, bit of Motown (Jamerson all the way), some blues and pretty much anything that takes my fancy. The P bass seems to work best with funk and reggae if im using my fingers, and of course it sits perfectly well with anything with the motown vibe going on. Never use plectrums these days but I know that if I take a pick to the P bass in anger, such as with some hard rock, it sings out loud and has an awesome sound. [quote]do you have favorite EQ, amp setting etc?[/quote] I run a Hartke 3500 amp into a 410XL cab, EQ flat, Tube pre up to about 5 or 6, solid state pre up to about 3 or 4, Low Pass up to 7, High pass on 3 to 5. This pretty much stays the same for all my basses, give or take some minor tweaking. I have the tone control set such that if you roll off all the treble, then roll it forward 1/4. [quote]any recommendations for good tracks that showcase the P bass[/quote] Anything James Jamerson played on - check out some earlier stevie wonder, the supremes, Marvin Gaye, the vandellas, and more recently, most stuff from U2, some stuff by duck dunn, and for pick playing, check out "Stay Together for the Kids" by blink 182. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s[/url] - Jamerson in action with his P bass [quote]how's the setup? do you string it through the body? any mods worth undertaking?[/quote] The Badass II bridge, although top loading and not Strings thru body, adds buckets of sustain - if thats your thing. If you prefer a more "thuddy" or muted sound, like jamerson, keep it as is and stick some flatwounds on it. The SD 1/4 £er pickup also has a very hot output, and a fantastic P bass tone. [quote]anything else that you think makes the P bass such a classic[/quote] Simplicity - its a straightforward, work horse of a bass. I can pick up the bass and play without having to spin too many knobs to get a good sound - it just seems to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. Never had any issues with my P bass. Hope this helps.

Im going to Pin this topic as I think its a valuable thread for our members. Dave Marks, can you kindly post any additional free lessons and such into this thread? This way we have everything in one place. Thanks!

....and when tastye 2000 plays, the audience are pinned to the wall and battered with low frequencies until they bleed from thier ears!

That is first class porn - the warwick looks very nice, as does the Jazz!

If I had half the talent Stanley Clarke has, I would be able to make an encore P bass copy sound fantastic through an Argos branded bass amp....

That Precision is looking amazing - as is the Jazz. Nice Collection!

[quote name='bonehead' post='12595' date='Jun 5 2007, 05:43 PM']> Hartke 3500 Amp with the preamp tube upgraded to the 12ax7M tube, with an Aphex Aural Exciter in front of it. 'scuse my ignorance, but what is all that you have with your amp? I've googled Aphex, exciter etc, but just get info on pedals. TIA BH[/quote] Hi Mate, The easiest way to describe what an Aphex Aural Exciter does is to think about the way a speaker will physically react to sound when it is moving air - speakers by thier very nature are very inefficient, sometimes moving out when it should be pulling in, and so forth. The Aphex helps to reduce the inefficientcy of the speakers in the cab (well this is my understanding anyway). In the real world, the effect it has is subtle, however if you have a relatively small rig, it can make a big difference at volume. I have noticed that it can make a small rig sound HUGE, its very hard to explain what exactly the Aphex does for my setup in words, but if I played you something with it on, and then played the same thing with it off, you would notice. Perhaps someone more knowledgable than me on the subject can explain it better than I?

OOOOOH! Nice looking Jazz - Ive heard good things about the Tokai Jazzers. If you dont mind me asking, what did it set you back?

This is My Rig: Hartke 3500 Amp with the preamp tube upgraded to the 12ax7M tube, with an Aphex Aural Exciter in front of it. All run into a Hartke 410XL cab (without the tweeter). This has been my main gigging rig for the last 3 years, it has never even given me a peep of trouble. Sure, the cab is heavy and my back is not enjoying it, but it does have a superb sound that never seems to fail to impress live. The Aphex just seems to make it sound bigger than I expected, ad before I got the 410 cab I too was thinking "ill whack a 1x15 in thwere with it later" - Ive never needed to. If you are in or around berkshire or London this month and next, ive got a few gigs coming up with Natalie, and would be happy for you to come and have a little play with my rig before/after the show if you like. Standing in the crowd will give you a good representation of what the amp can do live too.

Come on people, lets keep this civilised - we are better than this!

Tom - Everytime I see your Shuker I get butterflies in my stomach!

Stuart - I have every faith in your books mate, the ones ive had before are spot on and I would not hesitate buying a transcriptions book from you. Simon Merrick's Jamiroquai books are also bang on - not found a mistake there at all. The fact is that its plain petty to kill off the tab sites - most of the time the tabs are a mere guide to the music, and are often incorrect. Either way, you end up using your ear for elements of a song, so its not all bad to not have the tab, but it can sometimes help with tricky parts.

Tanc, I dont think its a case of not being able to handle a woman bassist- its more of an appreciation of her playing and her beauty. There is a shortage of female bassists, and I just feel that its nice to see a woman bassist, not because im sexist, but because you simply dont see them that often, and its a pleasant change. Nothing Sexist intended on my part. However I must ask the rest of the male contingent to please turn down the ogling - she is very pretty, that is clear, but she is also a good bassist, and would put me to shame any day. Lets keep our attentions on her playing - I've watched her other videos and she has actually inspired me to work on some funky tunes tonight!

[quote name='Timface' post='10425' date='Jun 1 2007, 10:43 AM']WOW.... That Fender Special Deluxe is AMAZING!!! and whats the two inputs on the yamaha for? Timface[/quote] I believe Mr Sheehan (who had a part to play in designing these basses) uses stereo outputs for his sound - hence the two outputs. Could be wrong though.

Im really liking the look of the blue Attitude - would be keen to have a play on it, never tried the scalloped frets thing before....

Nice basses - that Jazz looks identical to my old MIM Jazz, I stuck a badass II on mine and a pearloid plate but got bored and sold it off to Higgie on these boards....

When I started playing, if im honest, it was purely for the purposes of fitting in with my guitarist/drummer buddies and being in a band. As I have matured, ive grown to love my bass although I take my playing seriously enough to play for at least an hour a night, whether that be a little bit of theory practise, a bit of technique practise, or learning a song. I am never happy with my playing and I always try to raise the bar with what I do as I want to be able to do any gig that I am offered. I am a quick learner, and thus in just under a year ive managed to get comfortable with slap and funk playing in general, to the point where i am now in a wicked funk band. In response to your question - I want to be a kick ass bassist. I want to be noticed and recognised as a kick ass bassist. However, I know that Joe public doesnt know the difference and its only muso's that will appreciate my playing, but that doesnt stop me from trying!!! I honestly believe that so long as I put my mind to it, I can do anything I like. Im a believer that if you keep an open mind you will acheive what you want to achieve. The Playing in that video is fantastic, but lets face it, its a party trick - no disrespect to the player, he has talent, but for me personally tapping and solo bass is an aquired taste. I couldnt play like that, but there are things i can pull off that I know will make people smile (and no, im not talking about my trousers.) The point is that there are so many different methods of expressing yourself - whether it be making a song groove, backing up a band, or taking the limelight and kicking out a killer solo. Whatever yu do, so long as you enjoy yourself, whats the issue?

+1 - I get really wound up by the lack of tabs these days, however it has done me a favour in the sense that it makes me use my ear and this has meant that my overall ear for a bassline has improved. Record labels make me sick - rather than take a proactive approach they decide to simply attack the very musos who provide thier profits in the first place. They close these tab sites as they deem it to be taking money away from the original performer - but I am yet to see a comprehensive "official" tab book for sale with the tabs I need.